Rewards and Love
by dreamland4
Summary: Another beast threatens to destroy Camelot, but who will save them? I own nothing..I hope you like it.


_**Comments: Just another excuse for kisses - hope you like it.**_

The screams could be heard from miles away as the beast set fire to Camelot. The Knights battled hard against it but to no avail, they were just trying to keep the beast at bay while Gauis worked on what beast it was and how to kill it.

Guinevere hated being in her home and not the castle. The beast had attacked late in the night and as she stepped out of her house she missed the flames by mere inches. She steadied her heart, she needed to make it to the castle, there were injured that needed tending too. She stepped out of her home again and into the shadows. The screeching of the beast sent shivers down her spine...the smell of death and fear thick in the air. She popped her head out of the shadows and saw the knights trying to confuse the beast, she felt sick at the thought of Arthur being there and wished he was safe and in the castle.

She ducked in and out of the houses, past burning buildings. When she found the injured she would drag them into their homes, although the homes were not much safer, at least they would not be in the street. She would then clean and do whatever she could to help them, even tearing strips off her own dress to seal the wounds. She wished she could take them to the safety of the castle but they would definitely not make it past the beast, especially injured. She would return to them when the city was safe. She continued weaving in and out until she was near the main square, she could see Arthur and a few men battling the beast, his long claws taking swipes at them in mid flight.

The beast looked much like a dragon, the fiery breath, the big wings and long tail, the only differences seemed to be the fur that covered its whole body and the large boned spikes that came out of its back.

She stood in the shadows watching the knights and what took place next happened so fast that instinct took over. The beast got lucky and knocked three of the knights down hitting them against the wall and then knocked Arthur to the floor, he then lowered himself to the ground and raised his claw up ready to strike Arthurs still body. Guinevere grabbed a sword on the ground and ran towards the beast full of rage and ran the sword deep into side. The beast screamed and stood on his back legs breathing angry fire into the air, blood poured out of the wound.

She took the opportunity as it screamed in pain to remove the sword and ran it again hard into the beasts side. If this was going to be her last act, it was going to be fighting for the one thing she cared about Arthur.

The second sword seemed to affect him and she ran to Arthur pulling him back just in time as the beasts fury breathed on the spot where Arthur had just lay.

She needed to keep going at him, there were no knights here and she would not make it carrying Arthur very far. She picked up his sword and avoiding his mouth and claws missing her by mere inches she took the opportunity to stab him again near the other wounds...the beast knocked her back and she lifted her head up to see the beasts body began to lower...he was weakening she pulled herself up and picked up another sword and sliced the beast again.

He let out his last fiery breath and his body landed just near Arthur. She could not believe it she had done it, she had killed the beast probably more out of luck then skill but still the beast was dead.

"Arthur" she ran to him, "Please be alive" she leaned down to his chest, the wonderful sound of his heart beating made her cry in joy...he was alive.

"ARTHUR" she heard Merlin shout.

"OVER HERE" he ran in front of the beast and found Guinevere covered in blood and Arthur laying on the floor.

He knelt by his side "Is he?"

"He is fine...just knocked out" she heard shouting and could see Sir Leon in pain.

"I better go help Sir Leon"

Merlin looked at the beast, then disappearing Gwen and at Arthur. He had come to tell Arthur that the beasts hearts were on its side and the only way to kill it would be a direct hit to both hearts. He could see two swords sticking out of its side. Arthur had done it yet again Merlin laughed.

Arthurs eyes began to open "Merlin"

"You did it!"

Arthur looked confused "I did it" he sat up and saw the beast lying on the ground.

"You killed yet another beast" Arthur surprised look turned to a big grin.

"I killed it" he started laughing and lay back down "YES" they both laughed.

Merlin then helped Arthur stand he could see Guinevere helping Sir Leon into the castle. He felt so happy at the sight of her perfect form...she was alive and well and he had saved the day.

As he entered the castle his Father greeted him first "SON..you saved us all" he embraced him. The greetings carried on the same as he finally made it to the great hall. Inside the injured lay and he saw Guinevere in the corner helping Sir Leon.

"My lord...you slay the beast" Gauis approached him a smile on his face.

"That I did Gauis" although he could not remember any of it, maybe that was due to the large lump now on his head.

"See I should have realised it was an Estania Beast their two hearts are on the right side...I am glad Merlin got the message to you"

Arthur looked confused he didn't remember being on the beasts right side, the beast was in flight most of their attack. Gauis started to help him off with his armour and the prince snapped out of his thoughts.

"Gauis, I am sure you have other more serious injuries to attend to..." he had not battled a beast to be treated by Gauis, as much as he liked him, he wanted Guinevere to be near him.

"Ah...yes I will get Guinevere to help you" Gauis knew the love they held for each other and it seemed injury gave a good reason for them spend time together. Before Guinevere had begun helping him, he hardly saw the prince, and he would rarely seek treatment for such minor injuries.

Arthur watched as Gauis whispered in Guinevere's ear and she immediately turned to look at him. She looked down at her dress, she looked a mess, she had beast blood everywhere.

"Guinevere!" he looked at her stained dress as she approached.

When she got closer to the prince she saw that across his chest he had large claw marks, how did she not notice that before she felt awful.

"You are injured" she immediately started to pull off his armour...he had to smile he loved how concerned she was over his wellbeing.

She could not believe she had left him and not tended immediately to his wounds. As soon as his armour and tunic where off, her breath stopped and her heart beat faster. She hated how he had this affect on her, his perfectly formed chest, his bulging muscles, his golden hair.

"Guinevere?" she realised she had been staring and her face flushed bright red.

He laughed, pleased that his training had paid off!

"Sorry" she quickly filled up a bowl with water and started cleaning his wounds.

He was just about to talk to her when Sir Galliad came up and patted him on the shoulder "You saved us all my lord....no beast is a match for the great Prince Arthur" and then they kept coming, noblemen, knights, villagers all thanking Arthur for slaying the beast.

Guinevere said nothing, she could see how proud he was to have saved the land...she would not take away his _moment of glory_.

When all his well wishers left he finally spoke to her "You know I don't remember issuing a fatal blow...I thought we were losing!" he rubbed the back of his head. Guinevere looked at him he looked so confused she would not break his bubble.

"Well my lord you did hit your head rather hard!" She did not see herself as a hero that was Arthur's job.

"I guess I did" a confused Arthur was very attractive.

"Your bandages can come off in a few days"

Arthur looked disappointed there time had been taken away, he had not had chance to talk to her to watch her work anything. An idea popped into his head.

He grabbed his head in pain.

"What is it?" she asked concerned.

"Oh nothing...I am sure I will be alright" he went to stand up but acted dizzy and she helped him back onto the couch.

She immediately checked his head, no visible cuts but a lump "Does this hurt?" she gently touched around the area.

"Yes" he lied...it was slightly sore but not painful.

She looked at him concerned "Perhaps I should get Gauis to look at you" she hated that she had not learned more than flesh wounds.

"NO" he grabbed her hand as she went to leave. "I will be alright in a moment, perhaps you could stay"

She looked again at his head and started sifting through his hair using her nails to carefully separate his hair, she needed to see if there was any flesh wounds she had missed. She heard him sigh and when she looked at him his eyes were closed but he was smiling.

Realisation dawned on her, there was nothing wrong with him, he just didn't want their time to be over quite yet, so she tested her theory and lifted the hair up on his lump...no wincing he just sighed. She felt a laugh coming and she tried to suppress it, he was just enjoying being touched.

So she carried on, her nails running through sections of his hair...she could see goose bumps forming down his neck. Then her nails went down his neck, checking for injury of course and he leaned back.

"Is that better?"

"Much" he whispered.

Seeing Arthur lying there close to death changed something in her. She knew that this relationship was not meant to be in every sense but love...but on the doors of death what is more important than love, title certainly doesn't help, its love that gives us a reason to fight, a reason to live. That is why she stabbed the beast...to save the man she loved, so why should they not allow themselves more moments together if moments are all they can have.

She knew Arthur would not now cross the line, not just because of her title but because she had thrown Lancelot into the mix...he was not completely sure where her feeling lay and she did not cross the line to protect herself from disappointment when the inevitable happened...when he finally met his queen. But life was short, today had proved that...she needed him to know that he consumed her every thought and that although she cared for Lancelot, he had long since left her heart.

She looked around, Gauis and the others were running off their feet, she needed to help them. Arthur seemed so relaxed now, they needed to talk later, but how would she say that?

She stopped what she was doing and looked at him, his eyes opened to find Guinevere in front of him.

"I need to go and help Gauis...if your need further treatment later _my door is always open_" well it was a first step anyway.

Arthur smile lit up the room, she didn't wait for a reply.. she curtsied and walked away quickly her face red.

"She wants to see me later" he laughed, it was so worth battling any beast if Guinevere was his reward.

* * *

After all her the work was done and her patients stable she finally made her way home...trying to not look at the destruction around her.

Once she walked through the door she quickly unlaced the back of her dress only to be stopped just before it dropped by someone clearing their throat.

She turned to see Arthur looking a little embarrassed in the corner. "Guinevere...I should have knocked"

Her face red and grateful he actually did make his presence known. "It's fine"

He turned around and faced the wall grateful she had not thrown him out.

She took the opportunity to grab a dress and changed quicker than she ever had before...Arthur still faced the wall not daring to turn.

"Can I get you a hot drink?" at her words her turned a little and could see purple out of the corner of his eye, she had changed.

"That would be good" he turned to watch her at the stove....the flowers in her hair all covered in dirt and blood..he didn't know why he was doing it but he found himself behind her reaching out to touch her hair.

She didn't move.

He clumsily started taking the flowers out and placing them on the table, she stepped back a bit and found her body against his hard chest. "Thank you...but I can do that" she looked at the ruined flowers in front of her.

"I want to" it sounded silly coming out of his mouth, but these pins had no place in her perfect curls.

Gwen hadn't realised how much she missed being touched. Her father now gone meant she did not even get hugs anymore and now she was standing in her kitchen and the Crown Prince of Camelot was fixing her hair...maybe she had died at the beasts hands today.

When he finished pulling out the final pin, he carefully picked a curl up in his large hands and looked at how perfect it was, her hair was soft and it smelt of summer and flowers to him. He then let go of it and in a brave act he moved forward so her body was completely against his chest and he wrapped his arms around her waist and leaned down and placed a kiss on her neck.

"Thank you" her words soft.

"You are welcome" she moved her hands to cover his and hoped he did not notice the roughness of her skin from years of cleaning.

His thumb carefully rubbed against hers and he lay his chin on her shoulder and sighed.

It felt so right, so safe being in his arms.

She heard him sigh again, his mind thinking about the events of today.

"Do you have something on your mind?"

"Today is on my mind" he lifted his chin from her and she removed her hands and turned around in his hold to face him.

"Perhaps I may help" he sighed and she could see he was contemplating whether to speak or not.

He let go of her waist and she missed the warmth of his hands.

"It is just that the more I think about what passed today the more I am convinced the fatal blow to the beast was not caused by my hands" he sat on the chair and sighed, he had replayed the whole thing over and over in his head...he was not on the right side.

"What does it matter if the beast is no more?" she was intrigued why this bothered him so much, she thought he was all about the glory!

"It matters because someone else deserves recognition for the act....they are having a feast in my honour Guinevere" he stood up and run his hands through his hair "how can I drink the wine and taste the food when the praise is not rightfully mine"

He looked so upset, she approached him and reached out to touch his cheek "Arthur..you and your men are the hero's of today, no matter who struck the fatal blow...you battled the beast for hours" she looked a little guilty and he picked up on that.

"You know who did it?" she took her hand away immediately and went back to making a drink. She certainly did not want any glory...in fact she just wanted a bath and to forget the whole ordeal.

"I do not" she said pouring the hot water into two mugs.

"You do....Guinevere! you must tell me!" he came up behind her again.

"I do not know anything" she handed him the drink and walked away to the table.

"I believe that is the first time you have lied to me" he acted shocked!...she must have seen who did it.

She laughed.

"Come on Guinevere" he took the drink off her hand and placed it on the table.

"What are you doing?" her eyes went wide.

"Interrogating the suspect!" he got closer and she could feel his breath on her lips, her body then felt like it was on fire and her heart began to race.

"Now first I find your weaknesses" he lifted his hand up and trailed it down her neck, she shivered. He then went down her arm and up the side of her body....she burst out laughing.

"Ah ha...a weak spot" he tickled her sides again and she managed to wriggle away from him and stood on the other side of the table.

"I will not talk" her eyes shone with laughter...it felt so good to laugh.

"Oh really" he approached her and she moved quickly to the other side of the table. Both of them laughing as he kept trying to catch her and missing her by inch's.

"Really" he just couldn't catch her, so he decided to cheat....he grabbed his chest in pain and shouted.

She was by his side in seconds and he took his chance and grabbed her "You cheated" she laughed as he picked her up not letting her escape. He carried her to her cot and lay her down and quickly lay next to her pinning her down with his leg and leaning up on one arm.

"All's fair in love and war" he teased as his hand found her ticklish spot again.

She laughed so hard that tears fell from her eyes "Stop please" she wriggled to try and get away from him.

"Only when you tell me who saved the day" she couldn't breathe she was laughing so much.

"Okay...Okay" he stopped what he was doing, but kept his hand near just in case.

"Well?"

"It was Merlin" Arthur laughed, she was lying to him again...Merlin was reading books trying to find out which beast.

"Guinevere!!...what happened to you I thought you were an honest lady" he tickled her again and she thought she would burst with laughing so much.

"Stop stop.....It was me" Arthur stopped at her words and regarded her, she was telling the truth....Guinevere had killed the beast, that was why she was covered in so much blood and why she was in the square.

She watched as he contemplated her words...the silence was too long between them so she started talking, telling him what had passed and only his lips on hers stopped her from talking.

When he pulled back from her, he cleared his throat "Sorry about that"

"No don't apologise...are you surprised?" he thought on her words.

"Not at all" although she always surprised him, she didn't surprised him...it was difficult to explain but she was an amazing women who could achieve anything and she was in his arms now. "I guess it will be a feast in your honour"

She looked horrified "NO you must promise me not to say anything...I do not want that, you must say it was you, please Arthur"

"But why...you deserve a reward Guinevere" he was thinking of a new house, new dresses a feast in her honour anything.

"Surely I get to choose my reward?....just please don't tell anyone" she did not want all that attention.

He thought about her words, she looked so worried about the attention. "Ok, but you must choose a reward, that is my only condition for not speaking of it"

She lay back and thought about it and a smile crossed her face "I can have anything?"

He laughed "Anything within my power"

"Then I know what I would like"

He felt like kissing her again, she looked so lovely "What is it?"

She bit her lip, how was she going to put this. "You"

His eyes went wide "ME" his mind instantly thinking about the wedding night being brought forward and he blushed.

She realised what he was thinking "Not all of you...I mean obviously all of you, just not all of you!, um I think I will just keep quiet now" she blushed and wished she had never opened her mouth.

He laughed at her rambling "Guinevere...what do you mean?" he kissed her hand.

"I mean time, just time um with you and maybe dinner"

"Dinner as in I cook you dinner?" he looked horrified.

She had to laugh, should she be cruel and ask for him to cook, bearing in mind the last disaster.

"Yes" she tried not to laugh, he battled untold enemies but at the thought of cooking dinner he looked scared. She hadn't really meant to get him to cook for her, she just wanted an evening in his company and she would have cooked.

"You save my life and the lives of many and all you want is an evening with me and food poisoning?"

"Well I would prefer not to have food poisoning" she bit her lip trying not to laugh.

He rubbed the back of his head thinking "Agreed...although you might regret it"

"I will take the risk"

"You are brave Guinevere first beasts and my cooking...does nothing scare you?" he teased.

"Only losing you" he leaned down and kissed her gently. Her hands laced through his golden hair and pulled him harder onto her. She opened her mouth accepting him in and the troubles of today melting away in the warmth of each others mouths.

When they finally pulled back "Thank you Guinevere, for saving my life and doing what I could not"

She lifted her head up so her lips were near his and repeated his words "I wasn't going to let anything happen to you" he laughed and kissed her again.

They kissed a total of 8 times that night she counted as she watched him walk back to the castle.

At least she would get to spend another night in his arms as her reward.


End file.
